Cheesecake Crush
by QueenMimi96
Summary: It hurt to let go of him. Ben Mason had been my everything for so long now, it felt wrong without him. But a part of me was...relieved. Relieved to be able to finally be free for a change. That is...until I developed feelings for another certain Mason. The question was: would Hal feel the same way? Or I was just his kid brother's ex to him? One-shot.


I let out a sigh as I sat down beside Hal on the steps outside the hospital where we were staying on our way to Charleston. He chuckled, glancing over at me.

"What? You never ate cheesecake before?" he teased me, eyes twinkling in the darkness as I brushed the remaining crumbs from around my mouth.

I rolled my eyes at his comment.

"Of course, dummy. But not since the invasion." I said.

He just shook his head, grinning as he looked out at the empty fields before us. Grass had grown up so much, you could barely see a thing. But we still were on alert for any Skitters or Espehni that may be nearby. Dapples of moonlight filtered down through the trees, lighting up tufts of his dark hair. I bit my lip as a comfortable silence fell between us, my eyes boring into him, taking in his rugged beauty. Honestly, I was so young when I'd met the Mason family - just an orphaned 17 year-old - that I'd instantly formed a crush on Ben who was so much closer to my age.

We'd started dating not long after that and it felt right with him...for a while. But ever he met that girl, Denny, we'd begun to drift apart and eventually, we broke up. I could say that it hurt me, that I was upset he'd left me for her...but the truth? I was over-joyed. I'd felt stuck in that relationship for so long and I'd never had the heart to tell Ben about it. In the end, he made the choice for me though and I couldn't have been happier.

I felt _free_. Free from a relationship I didn't want, free from everyone's expectations, free to do exactly whatever I wanted whenever. So I started to hang out with Hal more and we grew close. I'd always just see him as an over-protective brother figure before but lately, I'd come to see him with new eyes. He was no longer bossy Hal. He was my crush.

Something snapped in front of my face then and I jumped back involuntarily at the sound. My eyes met Hal's and I saw an amused expression on his face, his fingers held close to my face briefly in a snapping gesture.

"You okay? You zoned out on me there," he laughed and my cheeks flamed red.

I shifted uncomfortably, suddenly hyper-aware of our closeness, his leg brushing against mine. Just that small touch made a shock go through my system, making my heartbeat skitter in my chest.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied through my teeth, faking a smile his way.

Hazel eyes bored through the layers I hid my emotions behind, seeing through the lie completely.

"No, you're not..." he stated softly.

Drat Hal. Why have you always had that ability? He was the only one who truly saw me. Not even Ben when we were together could see me like Hal could. My eyes held his and I could feel my heart beat speed up. I licked my dry lips and ripped my gaze away from his penetrating one. I guess I was still a little worried he saw me as just his kid brother's ex-girlfriend.

But I still felt those hazel eyes on me. My gaze drifted down to my knuckles that were turning white from the death grip I had on the legs of my jeans.

"Hal..." I started slowly, "You'd say we're...friends, right?"

He furrowed his eyebrows slightly in confusion, "Yeah, of course,"

Biting my lip, I took a deep breath as I stood up from the steps and walked a pace away from him.

"And nothing could ever change that, right? Like if I said something...crazy, you'd still be my friend?"

Hal scoffed behind me and I heard him stand up. Hands rested suddenly on my arms and he spun me back around to face him. I tilted my head away but he brought his fingers underneath my chin, forcing me to meet his green-brown gaze.

"What is this all about? Really?" he asked me, his voice calming my nerves.

I leaned forward a bit, resting my forehead on his. For a second, I thought he'd pull away but he didn't. Instead his fingers reached up and brushed strands of my hair away from my face. His hands were calloused but he was so gentle with me. So I took the plunge. I just let the words spill off my tongue like leaves tumbling off a waterfall

"Hal...I love you," I breathed out, shocking my own self with the revelation.

He was silent for a beat and I searched his face. I saw every emotion there - confusion, shock, anger for not telling him sooner, and one I couldn't place.

"Hal? ...Hal, please, say something - anything." I pleaded, staring into the depths of those hazel eyes.

But instead of answering with words, he pressed his mouth to mine. My eyes widened slighyly in shock before fluttering closed, reveling in his kiss. His lips were plump and soft on mine, his tongue demanding entry into my mouth and I obliged. I tangled my fingers into his short, black hair and I heard him sigh into the kiss before we finally broke apart for air. He didn't say a word, just smiled down at me in his arms. Then he spoke finally.

"Why didn't you just say that six months ago? I knew the cheesecake was a good idea!" he laughed and I gaped up at him.

"That was you?! You made that?!" I asked in disbelief.

He shrugged, "Guilty as charged. What can I say? I'm fond of cheesecake, too."


End file.
